Coin-controlling mechanism for vending-machines.



G. A. DAWES. COIN CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR VENDING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 1910.

L@% 69m Patented Nov. 19,1912.

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O. A. DAWES. COIN CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR VENDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.7, 1910.

Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

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I, /92W 0 M imw w w 3 Q 4. Da 1165. M 04 7 C. A. DAWES. COIN CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR VENDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 1910.

Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

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CHARLES A. DAWES, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

GUILT-CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR VENDING-MACHINES.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N ov. 19, 1912.

Application filed November 7, 1910. Serial No. 590,958.

" construct a simple, cheap and durable mechanism for controlling a Vending apparatus, which may be set to be operated with one cent, two cents and a single coin of the value of five cents, and which means effectually prevents the operation of the vending end of the machine more than one time with a single coin. j, g With. the aboye purposes in view, my inventio'nljcon'sists vin. certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which" will be hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed outin {the claims, and illustrated in ,the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front-elevation of, the coin controlling mechanism with aportion of the casing shown in section, and the upper end of the vending bar broken away; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan taken on the line,2".2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical'sectional elevation taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig.

' 4;; is a' vertical'sectional elevation taken on the line H f F igs, and showing the arrangement of the coin engaging device set to be operated with one cent; Fig. 5' isa ,vertical sectional elevation taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a rear eleva-' 'ttion of. the mechanism with parts of the 1 supporting frame .and shaft broken away;

. fflFig'. 7 is a view of the parts as shownin Fig. 5, except that they are in anextended operated position;'Fig. 8 is a View substantially the same as Fig.4, with the coin engaging device set sothat the machine will o erate with two cents; Fig. 9- is an elevatlon of the ,stationary. back plate with the parts carried thereby, and shows a coin held .as it would-be when the, movable; forward plate is being operated; Fig. 10 is a View similar to Figs. 4 and 8, and shows the arrangement of devices for holding a single coin of the value of five cents; and Fig. 11 is a detailed vertical sectional elevation taken on the line 1111 of Fig. 8.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings: 1 designates the casing, a portion only of which is shown. Secured to the rear wall of the casing is a frame 2, in which there is journaled a horizontally disposed shaft 3, on which shaft there is arranged a lever 4, actuated in one direction by a spring 5, and to which lever is connected an arm 6, which arm connects the lever with a vending apparatus, not shown.

The shaft 3 terminates just inside the right hand wall of the casing, and arranged over its right hand end is the lever 7, having a coin engaging pin 8, the lever 7 being provided with an enlarged hub 9, the outer end of which is reduced so as to receive the socket 10 of the actuating crank 11, the socket of which projects through an opening formed in the casing, there being a member 12 having outwardly turned ends for engagement with the crank to limit its movements.

At the. right hand end of the frame 2 there is an integral extension 13, U-shape in plan, on the right hand wall of which there is a projection 14, and arranged between said projection and the lower end of the lever 7 there is a contractile coil spring 15, for normallyholding the lever 7 in an inoperative position.

Supported upon a bracket 16 secured to the frame 2 is a plate 17, which will here inafter be described as the stationary coin plate. Carried by the plate 17 is the coin chute 18, the upper end of which is opened and arranged to coincide with a coin slot 19 in the casing.

Formed integral with the left hand margin of the plate 17 is a semi-circular extension 20, and carried by said extension is a lever 21, having at its lowermost end the stud 22, arranged to project through openings 23 and 24 formed in the stationary coin plate, and carried by the lever 21 is an indicating point 25 arranged to be positioned adjacent the indicating figures 26 arranged adjacent the margin of the extension 20, the lever 21 being pivotally connected with the plate 17 by means of the pivot 27 which is embraced by a coil spring impinging between the rear face of the .lever and the rear head of the pivot, whereby the lever. may be thrown forwardly at its handle end to release the stud 22' fromfeither one of the perforations 23 or 24. V

At the lower right hand corner of the stationary coin plate is an inclined'lip 28,

and carried by the stationary coin plate and disposed at a right angle relative to the lip 28 is a stop 29, the lowermost end of which is sufliciently spaced apart from the lip 28 to permit the passage therethrough of a one cent coin, but prohibit the passage of a five cent coin.

.Formed in the right hand margin of the stationary coin .plate is a slot 30 arranged in the path of travel of the coin engaging pin 8, thereby permitting the coin engagmg pin to ride to a position to the rear of the stationary coin plate.

Arranged to the rear of the stationary coin plate and pivotally connected there-' with is a plate 31 carrying a pin 32, arranged to normally project through an opening 33 so as to hold a coin dropp'edinto the machineafter there has been a coin supplied to the machine and which is bein carried while'operating to act on the ven ing apparatus, the plate 31 being provided with an extension 34 in the path of travel of 30 the coin-engaging pin 8, the operation and function of which will be hereinafter more fully explained.

Mounted upon and arranged for rotation plied to the machine a coin of the proper denomination.

50 i inclined extension 39 adjacent its left hand 'margin and-the downwardly inclined ex- Extending transversely across the U- shapedextension 13 and the frame 2 is a rod 37 upon which is hinged the locking plate 38, having a rearwardly and downwardly tension 40 adjacent its right hand margin, the extension 39 arrange for engagement ,with an integral extension 41 of the movable 'coin,plate and the extension 40 arranged for engagement witha pin 42 carried by the lower end of the lever 7, carrying thecoin engaging pin 8.

.Arranged transversely of the U-shaped extension 13 of the frame2 adjacent its forward end isga .rod 43, upon which is pivot- .ally supported .a member 44, havin a hook at its free end, which member wi hereinafter be'designated as the coin hook.

Arranged upon the rod 43 is a coil spring 45 having its one end secured to the frame and its other end engaging with the coin hook.' Formed in the movable coin plate 35 at a point about opposite the slot 36 1s a slot 46 disposed lengthwise of the plate, and which slot is disposed in a plane parallel'with' the body portion of the coin hook 44, so that when the movable coin plate is operated the hooked end of the coin hook will pass through the slot. It is to be ob.- served that the plate 38 is pivoted in such manner that its forward end will have greater weight than its rearward end, so that by gravity it is held-to its normal position. The coin chute 18 is preferably formed as shown, having a right angled bend so that the coin will be checked in falling from the slot to the coin plates, and also to prevent the insertion of probes, or the like, for fraudulently operating the machine.

As shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, the V chute adjacent the bend is provided with an opening 47 arranged so that when a probe or the like is inserted into the machine for the purpose of fraudulently operating the machine, the probe will project through the opening 47 and hence not likely follow the course of the coin chute to the operating parts of the mechanism. I

In the practical operation of the machine, assuming it to be desired to employ the machine for the vending of articles the sale price of which is one cent each, the lever 21 is grasped and pulled forwardly, thereby releasing the stud from the stationary coin plate, 'after which the lever is moved so that the stud is in alinement with the opening 23,

which position is indicated by the numeral 1 adjacent the margin of the semi-circular extension 20, after which the handle of the lever is released and the spring acts to press the entire lever forwardly, thereby seating the stud in the opening'23. A one cent coin is then dropped through the slot 19, through the chute 18, and rests at a point between the coin plates upon the stud 22, it having been deflected from the mouth of the chute by the stop 29. The crank is then grasped and moved forwardly so that the pin 8 carried by the lever.7, which is connected to the crank, engages the coin. A continued movement of the crank and pin 8 by reason of its engagement with the coin, moves the movable coin plate forwardly, which causes the shaft 3 to rotate. After a partial movement of the coin'and movable coin plate, the coin hook engages with the coin held between the movable coin plate and the coin engaging pin, and is lifted by the cointo a position with its hooked end over the top of the coin. The movement of the late is continued until the-projection 41 t ereof frees the extension 39 of the locking plate and noeaeaa I A 3 permits the extension 39 to assume a position forward of the extension 31.

When the parts are in this position, that is, the coin hook in a hooked position over 5 the coin and the locking plate holding the movable coin plate in a forward position, it is obvious that the release of the crank handle will free the coin and permit it to drop, thereby depriving the customer of an article from the machine. From the position just described, a slightly additional movement will rock the lever 4 and draw downwardly on the arm 6, and thus operate the vending apparatus, not shown. At this time the crank may be rapidly moved backwardly to its normal position by the spring 15, it being understood that "as the parts move backwardly the coin is dropped from the machine by reason of the release of the pin 8 and the engagement therewith by the coin hook. Just prior to the final seating of the crank to its normal inoperative position, the pin 42 carried by the lever 7 engages with the extension 40 of the locking plate and moves it to a position freeing the extension 41 of the coin plate from the extension 39 of the locking plate, thereby permitting" the movable coin plate to be carried to its position resting against the stationary coin plate, this movement of the movable coin plate being carried about by the spring 5,

which moves the shaft 3 carrying said plate. If by chance there is more than one coin supplied to the machine when it is only 5 necessary to supply one, the first coin will 1 40 will then be caught and held by the pin 32,

which, by reason of the construction of its carrying plate 31, will act by gravity to project the pin 32 through the opening 43.

Assuming now that the machine is brought back to its normally non-operative position, the pin 8 will engage the extension 34 of the plate 31, thus moving the plate and pin 32 rearwardly, and permit the second coin to dropinto position between the coin plates. This operation may be successfull performed with any number of coins. whic may be dropped into the tube. To set the machine to vend an article the price of which is two cents, the handle ofthe 5.5 lever 21 is grasped and shifted, as previously described, so that the stud 22 will be rojected through the opening 24 which is in a position removed from the slot 30 a sufficient distance to hold the first coin some distance so below the slot 30, so that a second coin dropped therein will be stopped by the first coin in a position aboutopposite said slot.

The operation of the machine is then carried is moved and the second coin carried by the plate as described previously.

To set the machine to vend an article the sale price of which is five cents, the stud is moved to a position outside the left hand side of the stationary coin plate, as indicated in Fig. 10, the lip 28 and stop 29 serving to hold the coin in proper position relative the slots and the coin engaging pin.

By reason of the construction of the parts as shown, I have successfully prevented fraudulent manipulation of the machine, and have provided against such devices as coins supplied with adhesive substances, which, in a number of instances, will adhere to certain parts of ,certain machines, and hence permit a continued manipulation of the machine until the articles are exhausted. The specific means to prevent such fraudulent manipulation of the machine is the coin hook. In some instances such a device as a string has been secured to the coin for holding the coin in a position to successfully 1 operate the machine, and by the construction of my machine I have successfully provided against the manipulation of the machine by such a device, for the reason that after the 1 coin has once operated the machine, the hook will move the coin out of operative position where it cannot be again placed in operative position by'the string,- for the reason that the coin would then be in a position below the coin engaging pin 8.

Iclaim: I

1. In a machineof the class described, the combination with a fixed inclined plate, fixed coin-engaging members projecting from the face of the plate, a shaft arranged for partial rotation and connected with a delivery mechanism for its operation, a handle for the manual operation of said shaft, a plate having an aperture therethrough secured for movement with said shaft and arranged to normally overlie the fixed plate, a coin engaging member connected with said handle and arranged to normally occupy a position to the rear of said fixed plate whereby, when a coin is supplied between the plates, said coin-engaging member .will, when manually operated engage the coin and the coin act to lock the coin-engaging member to the movable plate for the operation of said movable plate and theshaft connected with the vending mechanism, and apivoted spring-held arm arranged for operatlon through the aperture formed in the movable plate to discharge the coin from said plate, for the purposes stated. f o

2. In a machine of the class described, a pair of spaced apart, coin-receiving plates, one of which is fixed and the other movable, there being registering slots in said plates, means for holding a coin in position adjacent said slots, an arm having a projection which normally lies in a position to the rear of said plates, manually operated means for ation, means for momentarily stopping the return movement of the plate, andvmeans carried by said arm for releasing said stop- 10 ping means.v

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to thisspecifioation, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. DAWES. Witnesses E. L. WALLACE, N. G. BUTLER. 

